Demara V.

Morgan Family YMCA

Demara was new to Summer Day Camp at the Y, and it didn’t take long for her contagious energy to make an impact on her fellow campers. She also brought something new to the campers—experience of spending time with someone in a wheelchair.

At first, her fellow campers were unsure of how to act around her. This quickly changed because of Demara’s fun and engaging demeanor. Campers realized that even though she uses a wheelchair to get around, she is just like everyone else and is a great friend to have.

“This has been an amazing experience for the campers,” said Hannah, camp counselor. “Although they are young, they recognize that a person’s differences do not define them as a person or a friend. This time with Demara will surely impact them as they grow up and encounter different types of people. This has also been a great experience for counselors. It has them thinking about how to be inclusive when planning and implementing activities.”